Philippa Boyens. Photo: KENT BLECHYNDEN/Fairfax NZ Wellington’s Philippa Boyens is one of the most successful screenwriters in the world. She’s won an Oscar, a Bafta and has been a nominee for many more, including a Writers Guild of America Award.
Boyens owes much of this to her screenwriting debut with Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. She went on to co-write King Kong and The Lovely Bones with Jackson and Fran Walsh, as well as co-produce both films.
So with the fruits of her most recent labour, the US$500 million trilogy The Hobbit, soon to be revealed to the world with the release in December of An Unexpected Journey, we’d be forgiven for assuming Boyens was keen from the very beginning to return to Middle-earth.
When asked, there’s a long pause before she answers. “I loved the world. I loved [JRR] Tolkien’s writing. [But] I think there was a quality about myself where I felt like ‘I’d done it’,” she says while in Wellington.
Australians Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Barry Humphries will all attend the world premiere of the first Hobbit movie in New Zealand next week.
Warner Bros. has announced the stars who will attend the first screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, in Wellington.
Filmmakers Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will also be joined by Martin Freeman, who plays the central role of Bilbo Baggins; Richard Armitage, who stars as the dwarf warrior Thorin Oakenshield; Andy Serkis who plays Gollum and Elijah Wood who plays Frodo Baggins.
There may be a nearly 10-metre statue of Gandalf the Grey above Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, but the actor who plays the character, Sir Ian McKellen, won’t be there to see it for himself.
McKellen said he was sorry he could not attend. “I know they (the cast) will have a wonderful welcome from the fans and I envy them. As ever, my heart is in Wellington, and I send my love.”
Warner Brothers has kicked off their Awards Season website for many of their films, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey among them. The page links to the Official Website and trailer, gives a brief synopsis of the story, and then lists all the names of the people who worked in eligible categories, from the Writers to the Sound Effects people, and a few of the actors. And just as a tease, there is a list of screenings, but those screenings are for Academy voters and members of the various Guilds (Screen Actors, Writers, Directors, etc) only. A full list of eligible names and categories below. Hopefully this means we will have a lot to celebrate at our own Oscar Party! [Website]
While visiting Wellington in New Zealand, Prince Charles – who is here for the Queen’s diamond jubilee tour – made a stop over at Weta Workshop, where he meet Sir Peter Jackson and Sir Richard Taylor, and Dori (Mark Hadlow), who makes a special request of the Prince. Watch below!
Prince Charles clearly enjoyed his time at Weta Workshop; it made an unusual part of his 64th birthday celebrations, which he also spent with 64 New Zealanders who shared the same birthday. You can read more about the Prince’s visit to Wellington here, here and here (if you look closely at that last article, you may notice some interesting concept art and some familiar faces on the wall behind Prince Charles and Peter Hambleton!) Thanks to all the Ringers who emailed us about this news!
Fairfax NZ News reports official papers show that Tourism NZ sought approval from Warner Bros for every aspect of its $10 million “Middle-earth” marketing campaign — even checking with the film studio over issues that did not directly concern it. The documents, released under the Official Information Act, reveal the extent of the company’s sway over the government agency’s “100% Pure Middle-earth” marketing strategy, as well as the influence of Peter Jackson’s Wingnut Films. Continue reading “Warner Bros. calling Tourism NZ shots?”
Have you picked up your copy of The Hobbit Ultimate Edition from EMPIRE yet? You know, the issue that features multiple lenticular covers of Gandalf, Galadriel, Thorin, Bilbo and Gollum? It is on newsstands right now and will be a sure-fire collector items in years to come. On your way to the store, fire up your iOS device and snag the digital version as well – for FREE! To celebrate the release of EMPIRE magazine’s ultimate Hobbit issue on the U.S. iPad edition, they’re giving you the chance to download this incredible issue for FREE. Yup, you heard that correctly. 100% FREE. Act fast – offer is only available for 48 hours! [Download it!]
